Kavik

I'm not sure what style of sheepwork I want to end up in. The new trialling system being set up looks interesting, and Kaos's breeder is involved in that, so I will look into that. A friend of mine with Kelpies does yard trials with them, and that was fascinating too. A lot also depends on how often I am able to get to sheep, and remembering that I am a beginner at this too. I would like to try to do it as properly as I can, even if it means less time on sheep.

I think I need to watch more dogs work sheep so I have a better idea of what they do and what balance is and looks like. I need a better idea of what I am working with and what it is supposed to look like. Teaching the dog to stop using instinct makes sense, but that means there really isn't much I can do without sheep.

Vickie I like the way you taught 'that'll do'. If you can teach them that stopping will get the game going again you will have a keen and enthusiastic recall/stop/let go. Same concept as using two balls, letting go in drive work, also in bite work. I am still working out what everything means and what I am seeing with my dog and the sheep and what on earth I am supposed to be doing On Saturday I was mainly watching and trying to take everything in, what Kaos was doing, what the sheep were doing, what Jim was doing.

Thanks for your responses! OK for recall and stop: Recall I have been doing the same as I would need for anything else. Although not much of the sit on recall, more on quick response to come to me with food reward. Do I need to do anything more for sheepwork, or just work on distractions (the sheep were very distracting ) Stop - not sure the best way to teach this one for sheepwork. Kaos has a basic stand which I use for examining feet and nails etc where I use food. Probably will need something more?

After yesterday's introduction to sheepwork I realised there is a lot to learn! So my first question is what commands are used for sheepwork and can I teach some of them without sheep? Any tips on how to teach them? Recall - Kaos's recall is normally very good but he didn't recall well off the sheep. Is it best to use the same recall command for everything or have a different one for sheepwork? Stop - OK we have yet to teach this one Everyone there recommended a stand position.

What is the pineapple juice supposed to do? We have some dogs at work that do it - we now keep a very close eye on them! Of course they are the dogs with beards too!

IMO the time you will need control is while out on a walk! Besides the fact that I use walks as training time, walks are when you may come across something unexpected and unplanned. Such as a strange dog, kids on their way home from school, a mother pushing a pram, someone who is scared of dogs, an elderly man. These are the times you will want to practice that attention, or sit with distraction or heeling, when it matters the most. Not really the time you want to find yourself without whatever collar you prefer for training.

Sounds like an off switch is needed Kaos's activity is generally monitored by Diesel, who is less intense and has less energy, so they break when he is tired ;) but if Kaos gets too much, I put him in a crate and he knows it is quiet time in there.

I am training my Kelpie pup in agility, and have done some with another Kelpie cross, but have not done flyball. Flyall and agility are very fast, high adrenaline sports, as you have realised The barking and scratching I personally wouldn't worry about, that sounds like excitement, if it bothers you maybe you could throw in a sit or drop as they are controlled positions (you should read what happens to the people who do drive training ) - you must have a very quiet Kelpie normally ;) Don't know what to say about the chickens. I wouldn't leave mine unsupervised, my older Kelpie cross would definitely try to at least chase them, and since I am planning on doing herding with my pup, I would assume he would show too much interest to leave on his own.

When I rented, the arrangement was also that the dogs be outside. But I had crates for the dogs, and put the crates in the kitchen in the first house and the sunroom in the second house. The dogs slept in the crates at night. That way, they were inside and not barking outside but also not making a mess inside. The owners of the properties saw the crates and the dogs in the crates (often easier, as that way they weren't being enthusiastically greeted by a Kelpie cross and GSD ) and there was never a problem. So I say crate training is the way to go

I wouldn't repeat what the instructor did to your puppy, as it can backfire and the dog might bite you! And with the cross you've described you may have a big dog with a very strong bite! I would work on socialising with older quiet dogs so Daisy learns good doggy manners and work on getting her attention on you if she gets too full on with oither dogs.

From what I have read on these they ARE a plastic prong collar but I have heard they don't seem to work as well as the traditional metal ones? Because of the way they look and the design they are obviously geared towards avoiding the problems of appearance that plaque the prong collar.

You can get several types of crates. I have two wire ones and one plastic airline approved one. When first starting crate training you may want to consider a more sturdy one as they may try to get out and break a soft crate. If you don't want to crate train, I also suggest tethering the dog to you if you cannot watch it. Or you can close all the doors to rooms you don't want the dog in and that reduces the amount of space you have to watch.

You can get water bowls that connect onto the side of the crate so they don't step in it.

I have tried cheese, cabanossi, chicken, turkey. Unfortunately at the moment we are doing an elimination diet to see if he has food allergies so he is stuck with z/d for 4 more weeks . He works as well for that as anything else So I'm not sure the kind of treat is the problem. It also doesn't matter whether he is hungry or not. He works well when at training, at the park, and when I get home from work. But new locations, when I am out with OH who he adores, at trials or fun days with lots of other dogs etc he gets very distracted and I can't get him to focus. I don't think my OH would be impressed if I said we had to get steak for the dog's treats

Motivation is something I am always thinking about! You put up some very interesting points. The problems I am having with Diesel I think stem from motivation problems - I am having problems finding something that really makes him want to go! He will work for treats, but at times not as well or as fast as I know he can. He won't work reliably for toys. He likes pats, and is more pat and praise oriented than my other dogs, but I don't know if he will perform just for that? Or maybe he is just a slower dog? When he gets going he can be fast and work well, it is just hard trying to figure out what does it for him.

I have worn a sleeve a few times - it is scary I knew the dogs and handlers very well, but the dogs were still heavier than me! I ended up on the ground one time I have seen a few 'live' bites - one on the thigh, and video of one on the head on different decoys but by the same dog who tended to be a 'dirty' biter. Both times due to handler error. The dog was one of Diesel's uncle's actually

Is there a dog chiro around you? Zoe has been sore/stiff in one back leg for a while too - vets x-rayed and nothing they could see. She has rested and now moves fine, but I can see that when she sits/drops she holds one back leg in a funny position still. I am going to a dog chiro to see what he thinks. It is cheaper than a vet visit too

WOW those are impressive That was through the bite suit?

Thanks for the explanation! Looks like I've got some research to do on teaching jumping Maybe you can show me sometime I only have two jumps at the moment, maybe I have to get some more . . .

I'm forever getting bruises from dogs . Some are from work - dealing with lots of boisterous dogs, especially bigger ones, means you will cop a few. But also from my own dogs - when I do the food spitting with Diesel there have been a few times he got keen and ended up 'kising' me with his teeth

OK I am going to sound like a complete dill here I didn't know about the different styles of jumping. I have never really 'taught' any of my dogs to jump a certain way, they just jump the way they do. Could someone please explain the difference? And how would you teach one over the other?

Yay for Darcie! I love her colour too

I use the same commands for all the dogs. Zoe has a different release, "OK" where the others have "Free", but not for the specific reason for having a different command. I generally train them separately on walks or one inside, one outside etc. If I am doing group training, normally I want them all to do the same thing.

I use the bathtub for mine. Do you have access to a dryer? (assume you do with having had the littlies). Mine are often like Hogwartz's though . . . not much grass here at the moment.